Communal card played to justify pre-dawn swoop: Ramdev to SC

New Delhi, Oct 18: Bharat Swabhiman Trust headed by yoga guru Ramdev On Monday accused Delhi Police in the Supreme Court of playing a communal card at the behest of its superiors as one of the grounds for the midnight crack down on him and his followers at the Ramlila ground.

Ramdev's counsel and senior advocate Ram Jethmalani said Delhi Police revoked the permission for holding the dharna and satyagraha against black money on the intervening nights of June 4 and 5 at the venue saying the area was surrounded by the criminals and communal elements which amounts to "slur" on the minority community.

"They (Delhi Police) say the whole area is surrounded by criminals elements. It is a slur on the Muslim community," Jethmalani submitted before a bench comprising Justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar.

He questioned the midnight order passed by the Delhi Police under section 144 of the Code of Criminal procedure (CrPC)to declare the assembly of people at the Ramlila ground as unlawful saying it was "not the exercise of lawful power of the public servant".

He alleged that Delhi Police was acting at the behest of its superiors and concocted the story that the venue of yoga camp and protest was surrounded by criminals and communal elements and referred to the last two gatherings organized by Ramdev on January 30 and February 27 this year when prominent Muslim organizations participated.

"Police made out a case of communal sensitiveness. They expected some trouble from communal elements. It is unfair to the minority community. Police concocted the story," Jethmalani alleged.

PTI